


Untamable Lioness

by MisterDay



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Powerful Hermione Granger, marriage law, overprotective viktor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19082956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterDay/pseuds/MisterDay
Summary: When Hermione is forced into what is called "the marriage law", she knows deep down they will be coming for her. And, as a Gryffindor, she's not gonna give up without fighting. Fighting for freedom, her most precious gift.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone,
> 
> I really like this story and I hope you will love it too. Don't hesitate to let me know if there are any mistakes or other things that I need to work on.

The big white tents were filled with laughter and people dancing all around. The whole Weasley family was reunited to celebrate the wedding of Ginevra and Harry. They have been waiting for this moment for so long they were thrilled to finally witness it. The two lovers too had waited for this moment for so long, and yet, Hermione couldn't bring herself to be happy for the new couple. Sitting alone at a table with an empty glass in her hand, her gaze lingers on the whiteness of the tablecloth. She was lost in the depth of her thoughts.

Turning around, the young witch looked at Harry, the young man she came to consider like a brother and couldn't help herself but envy him. After years of waiting for this moment to happen, he finally got to marry out of love, something that has been taken away from her. The war was over now, Voldemort has been defeated, they could go on with their lives and start to build a brighter future. Little did they knew that said future only brightened for Harry and Ron. And here she thought they were fine.

Out of nowhere, the Ministry announced it in the freaking Daily Prophet! Because of the previous war and the many losses the Wizarding world had suffered, Muggleborn witches are compelled to bow to the new Marriage Law. This law stipulates that the selected witches will be put under the care of their future husband, who will happen to be a Pureblood wizard, and are expected to produce an heir. If that wasn't hard enough, the selected witches will become housewives and no longer be an active member of the Wizarding World.

They are taking everything away from them: their future, their freedom, their happiness...

Silent tears glided down her cheeks as she watched Harry and Ginny waltzing around, a romantic song playing softly in the background. She quickly wiped the tears away and turned her back on them, refusing to let them see her in that state. She was mad beyond words at them for considering the Marriage Law as a good thing and for planning Hermione's wedding ahead, sincerely believing it will do her good, that she will be happy once she's married. Maybe they really were wishing the best for her, but it wasn't the Marriage Law. She begged them to get her out of here, and here is the only answer she got :

"You don't know if they will choose you, and if they do, who are you to disobey?"

Molly turned her back on her, certain that she knew better than Hermione what was good for her. The woman that was like a mother to her was now her worst enemy. Maybe she just wanted to keep the young witch close to her after losing one of her kids. Arthur didn't even budge, working for the Ministry itself, he was good at hiding what he was truly thinking. But apparently, it didn't bother him to push Hermione in the arms of an unknown wizard. So, she tried to talk to the only family she ever had, Harry. And here are what his last words for her were.

"You're just anxious your future husband may not like you, just like Ron. I'm sure you'll be fine!"

Just like the others, he didn't understand what was wrong with the whole situation. It was like they all deliberately refused to face the truth, because it was ugly and because they were not ready to open their eyes just yet. But she couldn't wait for them to realize it, she needed to find a way out. Fortunately for her, she was the wisest witch of her time, yet it didn't help her to come up with a plan to escape from the Aurors the Ministry probably had sent after her. She knew all to well that if she tries to escape they will catch her, and she wasn't strong enough to defeat Aurors all by herself. She only had two solutions left and she really wished they will work.

As she pushed her empty glass away from her, she felt it. It was brief and faint, but she knew what it meant. Fighting off Voldemort and his Death Eaters taught her to feel the danger before it came. This ability helped her many times.

The music stopped.

They were here.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and forged herself an unflappable mask.

"So, they chose you to kidnap me." She slowly stood up and turned to the big crowd in front of her. "Hello, Moony."

The wizard greeted her with a simple nod.

"It does not have to end like this if you come with me willingly."

She involuntarily stiffened under that statement.

"You really don't know me if you think I'm gonna bow to that kind of law."

Remus sighed, his eyes closed. " Hermione."

"I won't marry out of love. Having children won't be my decision. The only "job" I'll ever have is a housewife. What kind of life is that?"

"I'm not here to discuss the law."

"You're right." She slowly moved her hand to grab her purse, only to find it was no longer hanging on the chair. She took a quick glance at it to verify.

"Are you looking for this?"

She froze, knowing without looking what Remus was holding out in his hands. How did he... She stopped her train of thoughts and looked at the crowd behind him. With their face, contorted by guilt, she knew they had betrayed her.

"I'm sorry." Was all Moony said before breaking, in one swift movement, Hermione's wand.

"No!"

"Hermione Jane Granger, from now on, you are no longer an active member of the Wizarding World and are put under the care of your future husband."

"No, I'm not!" She replied through gritted teeth before digging into her pocket, searching for her last hope.

Remus just closed his eyes and shooked his head saddened by her attitude.

"The cyanide's not here anymore."

She stopped dead in her tracks. So they did took everything away from her. She started to panic, her whole body shivering.

"Take her."

As someone caught her from behind, her body trembled even more. An incredible pain coursed through her like a burning flame. Devastating and powerful. She tried to grab that force and control it. She opened her eyes, eyes that glowed from the power welling up from her. The air around her started to crackle and the light bulbs started flickering from a force so violent that everyone could feel it. Some glasses exploded under the pressure.

"Hermione, I'm begging you. Stop that!"

But it was clear in her eyes that the young witch was out of controlled. Driven by pure instinct, she was like a lioness in a cage. A true Gryffindor.

The crackling of the light bulbs was stronger, ready to explode. The earth started to tremble. Hermione was ready to drown them under an ocean of power and anger. When two Aurors took out their wand, Hermione used a wave of power to send the woman holding her, flying across the room before sucking the light of a few light bulbs and sending them flashes of lightning. The others counterattacked, but Hermione replied with an invisible shield. Then she gathers this newfound energy to suck up all the lights in the room in herself before sending it back in a powerful shockwave, disintegrating the tent and knocking everyone down.

She fell on her knees when this power left her, draining with it a lot of her energy. She started to regain control of her body and mind, wondering what happened just now. But seeing everyone down and injured, she knew it was time to move. With a little spark of power, she opened a portal, wishing for it to bring her to a safe place before jumping in.

She landed in a dark and freezing land covered by snow. She didn't waste time trying to pinpoint where she was, the Aurors were on her tracks. She threw her high heels away and started running bare feet in the snow. Entering what seemed to be a forest, she slalomed between the many trees, avoiding the explosive curses thrown at her. She wished she knew how to use wandless power, but she didn't even know how she knocked them all down. Maybe it was just luck.

The dark night kept her from seeing where exactly she was going. Her heart felt like it was burning, she needed air, and her feet were ice cold. She turned a corner and tumbled down a hill. When she hit the ground, she felt the coldness of the snow insinuate itself in her body, paralyzing her. Exhausted, out of breath and broken, she asked herself during the split of a second what was the point of fighting?

However, she got back up and leaned against a tree, her vision fogged, yet, she could see a woman a few feet from her, looking at her with concern in her eyes. She was saved!

"Help..."

She didn't have time to finish her sentence that a curse sends her flying in the air, fortunately, the woman was reactive enough. She took out her wand and used it to make her land softy next to her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the young witch was turning blue.

Four Aurors appeared in front of them, wands aimed in their direction.

"Don't worry, I got this." She whispered to Hermione before standing up to face the intruders.

"What is going here? Why are you attacking her?"

"This young woman needs to come with us. She escaped when the Ministry asked her to bow to the new Marriage Law."

The woman turned her head to the young witch, impressed by the amount of courage needed to fight against her own Ministry. Turning back her attention to the Aurors, her eyes sparkled with rage.

"I've heard about that disgusting law, unfortunately for you, gentlemen, you are in Bulgaria here. So, unless you have the approval of my Ministry, I kindly suggest you leave this country because I'm not letting you touch her."

"But the girl..."

"Is under my protection! Now... Get OUT!"

The last word was pronounced with such force that it sends a little shock wave, making the four Aurors flinch.

"We'll be back! With or without the approval of your Government! This girl will bow to our laws!"

They didn't let her replies. They turned their back on her and left.

As soon as they left, the woman rushed to Hermione side and gave her her coat. Using a simple spell, she called back her family that rushed to her side. Three young men appeared before her.

"We need to go back to the house. Viktor, I need you to carry her for me.

Nodding briefly, the young man approach and flinched the second he saw her face. Even after all these years, he could never forget her.

"Mina?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again :)
> 
> Here I am with a new chapter, hope you will love it ;)

At first, the voices were muffled by the hauling of the wind and the closed doors. The blanket around her made her feel some warm and comfortable she refused to move. Wherever she was, she felt safe, a feeling that left her since the "Mariage Law".

The voices grew louder, sounding menacing. She opened her eyes, decided to get out of the cocoon of blankets to face the real world. She felt tired, more tired than usual. Has she overslept? Or is it the aftermath of her friends' betrayal? She didn't know.

The curtains were drawn so the room was enveloped in the darkness. She only needed a few minutes for her eyes to adjust. She finds herself in what looked like to be a man's bedroom. There was something about it that ticked Hermione's memories but she couldn't put her finger on it. She turned her face in the pillow, inhaling deeply, its smell so familiar yet so foreign. But it wasn't the time to lay in bed, trying to pinpoint who this smell reminds her of. She somehow escaped the Aurors that tried to capture her, but it didn't mean she was safe. Her memories of the previous night were still hazy.

A shiver ran down her spine, she did remember feeling extremely cold and running bare feet in the snow. But it was freezing and she might have lost consciousness.

Getting herself out of bed she shivered once more at the coldness of the room. Fortunately for her, someone put clothes on the bedside table for her. She hesitated. She could see a bathroom on her right, the temptation of taking a hot shower was so strong. But she reminded herself this was not her house and she didn't even know who found her. So she grabbed the clothes and changed quickly before getting out of the room on what appeared to be the first floor. The voices were a bit clearer but still muffled by the walls. She padded to a door slightly ajar and mustered the courage to push it open, revealing strangers faces.

"Great, you're awake!" A woman exclaimed, overjoyed by this statement.

Now Hermione recognized her!

"You saved me." She stated in a whisper.

"Of course I did. I couldn't let these men lay their hands on you if I could prevent it."

Her honest, tender smile was a relief for the young witch. Despite the fact she didn't know her, she was willing to save Hermione and that was something she never thought someone would do, especially for her.

"How can I thank you?" Hermione asked, really grateful.

"There's no need for that, mostly now that we know who you are."

The young with frowned at her, she only realized now that they were not alone. The man on her right was surely her husband and the two younger men on her right must be her sons. But she didn't know any of them, so, how come they know who she was? Maybe they only saw her on the Daily Prophet? The wisest witch of her age that helped the Boy Who Lived.

"I'm sorry, maybe it's my fault but I can't remember who you are."

Again, the woman smiled fondly at her.

"That's because we didn't meet personally. In fact, it is one of my sons that you met."

Hermione wasn't sure who she was talking about until she felt someone behind her. He was so close she could feel him.

"Hello, Mina."

Her eyes widened. Only one man on earth used to call her like that. She turned around, there he was. He grew old, just like her, but she could recognize his coy smile and big brown eyes anywhere.

"Viktor!"

Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck, relieved to finally find someone who always made her feel safe and respected. Viktor's arms tightened around her waist. He had been terrified last night, seeing her in such a state. As long as he could remember, he always pictured her as a strong and fierce young witch and seeing her so fragile and vulnerable was something he didn't expect. But here she was, in his arms, and he promised himself he will never let her go again. Not until he's sure she will be safe.

Viktor's father cleared his throat, making them separate from each other.

"I think we need to talk."

They all nodded in agreement before taking a seat in the living room. Viktor's parents took place on armchairs close to each other while his brothers sat on the couch, facing their parents. Viktor chose to sit on the armrest of the couch too, holding Hermione close to him. The young witch didn't complain, he was the only person who made her feel safe and warm.

"Before I start, let me introduce myself, Hermione. My name is Sophia, and this is husband Ioan and our boys, Nikolaï and Andreï."

The two brothers raised their hand when their name was mentioned, a shy smile on their lips.

"I don't need to introduce you to Viktor."

They share a small smile, looking into each other's eyes, completely oblivious to the rest of the Krum family.

"So Hermione!" The voice of Ioan interrupted them. "Care to tell us why Aurors were trying to capture you?"

She knew he didn't mean to sound harsh, but his simple question silenced the whole room. All eyes were on Hermione, and she knew she had to tell them.

"A few weeks ago, the Ministry of Magic in England decided to establish what they call "The new Marriage Law". Because of the war and the lives that we lost, they decided to force Muggleborn witches to marry Pureblood wizards. They say it is a way for us "Muggleborn" to be useful to our community."

"I don't understand how a marriage can help?" Nikolaï interjected.

Hermione lowered her head a brief moment, just stating what it implied was painful for her.

"The Marriage Law stipulates that the selected witches will no longer be a part of the Wizarding World in order to become "housewives"."

Viktor's parents seemed disgusted by that while her sons weren't sure what it implied, so they asked her what it meant.

"It means that I have to give up on the idea of getting a job. For the younger ones, it means they have to give up their studies. But the worst part is that they expect us to "produce heirs" to quote them."

Nikolaï and Andreï shook their heads in disbelief but didn't say anything, knowing Hermione's story was only beginning. Hermione could feel Viktor stiffen against her. She put her hand on his and stroke it absentmindedly.

"Since the war, I spent most of my time with the Weasley family. I tried to tell them how wrong this law was, but they wouldn't listen. Harry even told me I was just nervous because I thought nobody will like me. I couldn't believe it. They were like family to me, and they were turning their backs on me. It was at this moment I realized I could only count on myself."

"How did you know they were coming for you?" Sophia asked.

Hermione shrugged.

"The selected witches don't know until it's too late. While they hope they won't be chosen, I knew they would be coming for me, so I prepared myself."

She closed her eyes, remembering how it all went.

"The music stopped the instant they arrived. I didn't even need to turn around, I felt them. I was ready to fight for my freedom. I thought I had it all planned, but I have been careless. I didn't see them stealing my wand and giving them to the Aurors before they broke it." Her voice started to break when she remembered Remus breaking her wand in front of her.

Sophia put her hand over her heart, feeling sorry for the young woman.

"I had a backup plan though. I had a little seed of cyanide in my pocket. Just one bite and you die within the next minute."

A look of sheer horror appeared on the Krums faces. Viktor was the only one who wasn't surprised. She was a Gryffindor, freedom is her most precious gift and he knew she would rather die than give it up.

"What do you mean you had?" Ioan asked.

"Apparently, they knew me at least a little bit to know I would do something like that. They stole it too. That's when it happened..."

"What happened honey?" Sophia asked.

Hermione shook her hand lightly.

"I felt so vulnerable and desperate at that moment. I suddenly felt this power welling up inside me. It was so powerful it completely took control of me. I don't remember what happened, but when I regained control of myself, they were all down and the tent had been disintegrated. So, with a little spark of power, I opened a portal, wishing for it to take me to a safe place. That's how I ended up here."

To say the Krum family was impressed was an understatement. Sophia and Ioan had small smiles stretching their lips, Hermione, from what Viktor told them, was definitely one a kind. They were glad to have the chance to finally meet her.

"I should go now!" Hermione said detaching herself from Viktor.

"What? Why?"

The young witch put her hand of Viktor's cheek and looked at him with such fondness it made his heart melt.

"I wanted a safe place but I can't be here. I don't want you to get in trouble if they come back."

"Hermione!" Ioan said getting up from his chair.

She turned around to look at his soft expression.

"My wife swore she would protect you, and she doesn't make promises she can't keep. Plus, this law is utterly disgusting, we all think that." His sons and wife agreed, nodding their heads. "So stay with us. I promise you we'll find a way to get you out of here."

The young Gryffindor was speechless. She didn't want to get them in trouble, but she also was tired of being alone and vulnerable.

"Mina! Look at me!" Hermione turned to Viktor, his face so serious all of sudden. "Do you trust me?"

"I do!" She replied automatically.

"Then stay! We all agree to keep you safe. Plus, English Laws can't affect you if you stay in Bulgaria, and I'm convinced our government won't send you back."

Hermione couldn't help but smile for the first time in days. Logically, if she stayed in Bulgaria, the English Government can't bring her back by force. That could be true, but she almost got caught because she had been careless, it won't happen again.

"Alright, Viktor! You win!" Her statement brought a goofy smile on his face. "But I need books on Bulgarian and International Laws. I want to find a legal way to escape them."

"Absolutely!" Viktor laughed before taking her hand. "Let me show you your room."

While he showed Hermione the house, the rest of the family had stayed silent in the living room.

"Do you really think they won't find a way to get her back?" Nikolaï asked his mother.

"They will! Like I said to you so many times: Never trust politicians."

"What do we do now?" Ioan asked his wife.

"We hope Hermione will find a legal way to escape them because if this doesn't work, I don't know how we're gonna keep her safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, don't hesitate to tell me if you loved it or not ^^


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> Sorry for not posting sooner, I kind of lost inspiration, but now I'm back on tracks and here is the new chapter of my fic.

Locked away in one of Sophia's spare room, Hermione swore she wouldn't leave it until she finds a way to get herself out of this marriage law problem. It has been two days already, she barely ate, she barely slept, all she did was working on these scrolls filled with legal procedures and text of laws. Her iron will, making up for the lack of sleep and food, but for how much longer? That she didn't know.

A crayon between her teeth, another tying her hair in a bun, she frowned at the scattered scrolls on the floor, trying to make connections between them. It turned out to be more difficult she expected. Was her reputation of the wisest witch of her age over-exaggerated? Probably not, it's just that Wizards laws were just like Humans ones: Favoring men over equality.

Realizing that made her even angrier and she started to look through every piece of paper all over again.

From his vantage point behind the door, Viktor was using a simple spell to look through the obstacle and keep a watchful eye on the young woman. He didn't like the idea of letting her deal with this complicated problem on her own, but as her mother liked to remind him, Hermione was a prideful woman and the most brilliant one in the house. She never needed to finish that sentence.

"Nissy!" Viktor called out, not too loud so Hermione doesn't hear him.

A second later, a small house elf appeared, bowing down in front of the young man.

"Yes, master!"

Viktor closed his eyes for a second, fighting the urge to growl at that. How many times will he have to explain it to her?

"Nissy I freed you, so stop calling me master."

The house-elf smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry master but Nissy can't."

Shaking his head, amused, Viktor reminded himself he didn't have time to argue with the small creature.

"Nissy, I need you to do something for me." He stopped for a brief moment, deciding on how to put it. "See this young woman in the room?"

The elf nodded, she already knows, having a guest in the Krum household was something so new and exciting she had to know.

"Well, she's important for me and I want her to stop working so hard in this room. She needs food and sleep."

"Sleep and food only?"

"Of course not! You can show her the house, take a walk outside with her, show her the town. It's up to you. I just want her to take a break. Can you do that for me until I come back?"

The elf nodded, even though not sure of what to do but her master trusted her so she smiled and promised him she'll take her mind off work, whatever that meant.

After Nissy disappeared, Viktor took one last look towards the witch before vanishing without a sound.

Throwing her crayon though the room, Hermione put her hand on her face and sighed soundly.

"Tired missy?" Asked a small voice from behind her.

Hermione jumped with a small cry, surprised by the intruder's voice. She turned around and saw a rather startle house elf.

"Sorry if I startled you, I didn't expect someone to sneak up on me." She said with a hand on her heart.

"Sorry missy, next time Nissy make more noise."

Hermione smiled at the elf's idea.

"Not sure it would be better but it's worth a try." She stopped and sit more comfortably. "It's very nice to meet you, Nissy, I'm Hermione."

"I know, you are master's special missy. Nissy shall make missy stop working."

Hermione looked puzzled.

"Who is your master, Nissy? Is it… Is it Viktor ?"

The elf nodded vigorously has to show how happy she was with that statement. Hermione smiled at the creature, but there was still on question plaguing her mind.

"Did Viktor freed you?"

Nissy had a look of sheer happiness, the young witch could swear the small elf was about to cry.

"He did, thanks to you."

"Me?" Was all she could answer, the shock of the statement taking her aback.

"Yes, yes! Master told us how missy wanted house-elf freedom."

Now, Hermione was beyond shocked. Did he remember that night?

The library was empty, but that tended to be a thing since the beginning of the year. Hermione never minded, she always loved the silence of that part of the school to study or just to avoid everyone. That night, she thought she would be alone, she never expected Viktor Krum to intrude her precious sanctuary.

At first, she thought it was a student coming to steal some precious scrolls for an exam. That thought angered her and she decided to stop him. It was late and the room was too dark for the few candles to lit it completely so when she spotted him, she just saw a big form who appeared threatening.

Concentrating, Hermione used her wand to create eagles in the room, then she looked at the intruder.

"Opugno!"

The eagles looked at their new target before rushing towards it, but the intruder reacted quickly.

With just a flick of his wand, he destroyed one by one every eagle thrown at him.

Taken aback by the talent of her opponent, Hermione didn't let stop her from bouncing back. She created ropes she tried to tie around his ankles and wrists but he vanished them easily. Realizing simple spells were useless against him, she decided to stop going easy on him.

Taking a few steps back she gathered energy in her wand before releasing it to shoot a bolt of white lightning towards him.

Without saying a word, her opponent raised his wand and absorbed the lightning before sending it back with much more power. Hermione didn't have time to use a protective spell so she dodged it. The jinx destroyed a table once behind her. Rising to her feet she made the wooden pieces levitate, metamorphosed them into steel and threw them at him. One by one he dodged them, not caring to use a spell, which infuriated the young witch.

Their little fight was devastating the library and Hermione wanted to spare the most of it, something that will turn out to be impossible if they stayed here. She quickly came up with a plan to take him out of the room but she needed his help.

Without realizing it, her opponent gave her what she needed with a powerful fire spell. She blocked it creating an orb of fire in her hand and then breathed into it to create a lion flame. This new ally was pushing the intruder towards the exit. However, she didn't expect the student to turn her fire lion into and water lion and caused him to liquefy.

Pointing out to the chairs and tables, Hermione used her wand to throw them across the room towards him. She knew he would block them but it was just a diversion while she ran towards him hoping to tackle him. She didn't notice how strong he really was until he caught her, threw her on the ground and covered her body with his, stilling her arms with his hands. His face was a few centimeters from hers.

"You really are powerful!" the intruder whispered, out of breath.

That voice! Hermione knew it all too well.

"Viktor?"

The Bulgarian wizard smiled, reassured that it was a misunderstanding and that Hermione didn't recognize him before. He released her arms and helped her get to her feet. He was about to say something when a petite hand slapped his cheek, not too hard though.

"You scared me!"

Despite the small tingling, Viktor looked at her, eyebrow raised, not believing what she said.

"You didn't seem so scared when you were throwing curses at me."

"I said scared, not defenseless."

"That fire lion was definitely not."

Hermione blushed under Viktor's "masked" compliment.

"I created this spell myself. I wasn't sure it would work."

Viktor looked amazed by that simple statement. She wondered why he was looking at her like that? Not believing she was or even had something special.

"You didn't tell me what you are doing here at this hour." She asked.

"Well," he started, scratching the back of his head. "I wanted to talk to you."

"And this conversation couldn't wait for tomorrow?"

Viktor laughed, shaking his head a little bit.

"I mean, I wanted to spend time with you."

His confession took her aback. Why did he want to talk to her? Sure, she helped him get rid of the fangirls chasing him all around the castle, but never did she think he would want to spend time with her to talk.

"But why me?" she managed to ask.

He just shrugged. "You are different and we started a good conversation."

"I just asked you why you decided to put your name in the Goblet of Fire." She laughed.

"Exactly! The only people who talk to me want autographs or tell me I am a great player."

He laughed when he said it but Hermione noticed the sadness in his eyes. That was then she realized Viktor was different.

"Well, I guess we can talk as long as you help me clean up the mess we created."

The way he smiled at her, it was a smile she felt was made for her only. They cleaned the library and talked for hours about his reasons to participate in the tournament, his family, his dreams. The young man opened up to her and seemed as eager to share about his life he was curious about hers.

"I can't believe you've never left England!" He exclaimed sitting in front of her on the floor, the library now entirely clean.

"They are not big fans of traveling around the globe in my family."

"But you are."

Hermione didn't know if it was more or question or a statement but she felt the need to explain herself.

"It sounds silly but I do want to see the world, not just England."

"It's not silly to me."

The more he smiled at her, the more she blushed and that was something he was beginning to notice.

"Hey! Why wouldn't you start by Bulgaria." He exclaimed sitting up on his knees.

She looked at him for a second, as to judge whether he was serious or silly. But the look on his face showed a mix of both.

"What is there for me to see?" She was teasing him, he knew that.

"Well, we have a great National Quidditch Team, I heard their "seeker" was really good."

They both nodded with a goofy expression plastered on their faces.

"Well, I'm not a big fan of Quidditch."

"What?!" He exclaimed. "What kind of witch are you?"

"The kind that prefers books over sports."

"Smart choice. And which book do you prefer?"

The young witch seemed to think thoroughly, she read so many books, how could she decide which one was the best? It was an impossible question. But then, she looked at him and the idea popped out in her mind.

She went on one of the alleys, used her wand to take down a high placed book and brought it back to Viktor.

"What is it?"

Sitting on her knees, she placed the book in his hands, dusting it a little. Viktor took a closer look at this book and something caught his attention.

"It doesn't have a name?"

Hermione shook her head sadly.

"The wizard who wrote it couldn't find a name for it, so he left it untitled."

"What is it about?"

She put a hand on the cover while starting her summary.

" It's a story about friendship, between a wizard and a house-elf. This wizard's parents gave him the house-elf when he was a young boy, like a domestic animal, something to occupy him and keep him company while they were away."

She paused, obviously touched by this story.

"They grew up really close, to the point where the young boy preferred the company of the elf than of his parents. He called him his friend, but his family was coming from a pureblood one, they didn't like the idea of their son getting friendly with such a creature. So they beat the elf in front of him and reminded him that they were just servants. The wizard was devastated, he couldn't understand why his own parents could be so cruel. He got emancipated and started fighting for elf freedom, but was killed before he could achieve it."

Viktor looked shocked.

"Can I borrow it?"

Hermione didn't mind, she gave him the book like it was a precious treasure.

"Now I understand the pins thing. You are working hard so people accept to free them."

"In hope someday, change will come for magical creatures." She said now back in the present.

"Missy inspired master." Nissy appeared in front of her, an old red leathered book in her tiny hands.

Hermione gasped, a hand covering her mouth when she recognized the untitled book. She took it carefully and placed it on her lap. Her hands caressing the cover. So he kept it all those years?

"I guess taking a break won't kill me."

The house-elf looked overjoyed with that statement. She brought the young witch alongside with her, showing her every part of the mansion. They spent the entire afternoon playing card games, hide and seek and walking inside and outside the mansion. They ended their tour with the kitchen, Nissy's favorite place, she even convinced the young woman to cook with her and other house-elves.

Up until now, Nissy's mission was a success, Viktor's missy was busy and stopped working on papers. She awarded herself with a bonus point for making her laugh. While cooking, Hermione told Nissy about Dobby and how brave he had been and regaled them with stories of her years at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron. As soon as she mentioned the boys, Nissy saw the hurt in her eyes and started to clown around just to make her smile. Hermione was a kind-hearted girl and she didn't like seeing her sad.

"It smells good in here, what's going on?" Came a voice from behind.

Hermione turned to see Viktor's mother, Sophia.

"Viktor was concerned about me working too hard so he sent Nissy to get me out of the room."

Sophia sat on a stool on the right of Hermione while nodding.

"Clever boy."

"I guess so since even I am willing to admit it was a good thing to take a break from those scrolls."

"His brothers, father and him are having their father-son night so it's just you, me and Nissy tonight."

Hermione smiled, not because she imagined Viktor bonding with his father and brothers once in a while but because Sophia was cunningly avoiding to ask her if she found a solution to her big problem.

"Wanna help us cook?" She asked the older woman.

"I thought you would never ask." She replied, pulling her hair in a ponytail.

The two women cooked together, not really following a precise recipe, just making things they loved. It started good, Sophia regaling Hermione with stories of Viktor's younger years in and outside of school, laughing sometimes at the young man's silliness. But sometimes, Sophia was watching her guest and saw the way she sometimes tried to use a simple spell to get certain things, in vain. She saw the hurt in her eyes and the way she was trying to hide it.

Maybe it was because she was too lost in her mind but she extended her hand to her left without looking and touched the flame of a candle. She yelped under the pain and put her hand under cold water.

"Let me take a look dear."

"No! It's ok!" She said with maybe more force than necessary. "Please, excuse me. I'm gonna go upstairs, I'm tired."

She didn't wait for a reply and ran out of the kitchen.

The house was so big that Hermione got lost while searching for her room. She wanted to be alone but she knew she needed help. She fought back the tears and put on an unflappable mask before calling out for Nissy.

"Yes, missy?"

She looked softly at the small creature.

"Can you show me where my room is?"

Nissy nodded took her hand and they vanished, reappearing in a bathroom. Hermione didn't have time to ask why they were here that the elf was running her a bath. The room stayed silent, neither of them speaking. To say what? When she was finished, Nissy went searching for spare night clothes and finally let her alone. The woman tried clothing the doors with magic but realized once again she couldn't. She closed the door of the bathroom, undressed and got into the bath.

Downstairs, Sophia was reading a book on one of the old armchairs. The front door clicked open and her boys entered, followed by their father a grave expression on their face. She got up and dared to ask.

"How did it go?"

Her husband sighed deeply. "They said they couldn't stop them from coming to get her."

"What?" She exclaimed, a hand on her heart.

"They say she entered illegally on our territory." One of Viktor's brother said.

"Just a backdoor attempt to say after the war they'd rather not get involved in a political conflict with them." Grumbled Viktor.

"Did you ask for refugee status?" Sophia asked her husband.

Ioan paused for a second, searching for a way to put it correctly, but decide to just tell the truth, simple and raw.

"They refused. They say a marriage, even a forced one isn't a valid reason to ask for the refugee status."

"So we lost?" She asked, letting herself fall back on the armchair.

"Maybe not completely." Replied her husband, kneeling in front of her. "I have a good friend there, he said he could maybe search for another legal way to protect her. We just have to give him a few days."

"She may not have a few more days!"

Ioan stayed silent for a while before asking. "Did Hermione come up with a plan?"

"I'm not sure." Her wife answered miserably.

The room fell silent until someone barged in.

"Master!"

Nissy's voice interrupted them. Viktor turned to the small creature and kneeled in front of her.

"What is it, Nissy?"

The small elf looked sadder than ever.

"Missy is sad. She cries in master's room. Nissy tried telling jokes and clowning but Missy doesn't want to smile. She needs master."

Viktor wanted to ask why Hermione was so sad, but not only did he have a small hint but he wanted to be sure. He made all the way up to his room and used his power again to look through the door. She was under the covers of his bed, holding out her injured hand, murmuring healing spells. None of them were working and he saw the way she was gritting her teeth to stop herself from screaming.

He couldn't bear to see her so hurt so he knocked gently at the door and entered. Her look seemed to soften when she saw him. He locked the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed near her, holding delicately her burned hand. He looked at it and brought it a centimeter to his face.

"Popravyam." He murmured before kissing her palm.

The pain vanished, replaced by the feeling of Viktor's thin lips on her skin. The sweetness of this moment lasted only a second and she felt her eyes watering.

"Viktor." It was barely a whisper, a signal Viktor took seriously.

"What's wrong Mina? You know you can talk to me."

Hermione knew that, but it was good to hear it too.

"I'm losing my power. I feel so weak, so vulnerable and I hate it." The tears that were only threatening to fall were now streaming down her cheeks.

One by one, Viktor erased the offending saline drops with his thumb.

"You are exhausted Mina," he said cupping her cheek with his hand making the young woman closing her eyes and leaning into the touch.

Viktor was about to go grab something for her to eat when she grabbed his arm, looking scared.

"Stay…"

It was the first time Viktor heard Hermione pleading, that alone was telling a lot about how vulnerable she felt. The only positive thing was that she trusted him enough to be vulnerable in front of him. Keeping her hand in his, he removed his shoes and climbed onto the covers near Hermione, holding his friend, protecting her from the nightmares to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, do not hesitate to tell me if you think it's a bit weak or if there are some mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!
> 
> I'm so happy to be back with this new chapter, I know it took me a while to write it and I'm sorry but with work and all it was hard to find some time to focus on my writing, plus I really wanted it to be good.
> 
> I hope you will enjoy reading it :)

"This can't be true!" Viktor yelled knocking his fist on the table, crackling it and making the parchments bounce.

The living room fell silent, Ioan watched his son discharging his anger on the wooden furniture.

"When?" He simply asked, almost out of breath.

"I have no idea, it could be hours, days… That's all I could get."

"This is too soon dad!"

Hearing his son's pleading was hard enough but what Ioan was about to say was harder.

"No Viktor, this is too late."

Lifting his gaze from the table to the piercing green eyes of his dad, Viktor asked silently what he meant by that.

"As they said, she entered illegally on our territory, even if there was a law that could protect her, she couldn't benefit from it. We lost from the very beginning but we just realized it."

"So what? Are we giving up?"

"Of course not!" His father hissed while trying to keep his voice cool. "I'm just saying that if we want to protect her there's only one way to do it."

Viktor didn't understand straight away what his father meant. It couldn't be fighting because that's what they were doing from the very beginning, but then he remembered the spell his father taught him during the war and he understood. His face contorted with anguish when he got it.

"Are you insane!? You can't seriously consider this option?"

His father, more stoïc, crossed his arms over his chest like he was disappointed in his attitude.

"And what other options does she have Viktor? Running away forever? That's the kind of life you want for her?"

"Of course not! But this spell will take more than her life if we use it."

Ioan sighed, put his hand on his son's and looked straight in his eyes.

"That's why we will use it as a last resort. I consider her family too Viktor you know that, and what do we do for family?"

"We protect it at the peril of our life!" He answered immediately.

"And that's what we're going to do. But don't think too much about that, your mother has a good plan B, we can trust her."

"What's that plan and what happened to plan A?"

For the first time in days, a real smile appeared on Ioan's face.

"Hermione is coming up with plan A, as soon as it's ready we'll hear about it, in the meantime, let your mother refine her plan."

"And what's that great plan of hers?"

Ioan's smile faded out of frustration, his wife had been training Hermione in a small room downstairs for days, not telling anyone what she was doing.

Both men looked at the door leading to the basement, hoping Sophia's plan was a good one.

Downstairs, Sophia and Hermione were sitting crossed legs, eyes closed and palms touching. They started this ritual after they both understood the laws were not gonna get her out this situation, a training that was supposed to help Hermione to reconnect with her powers.

"Alright, now visualize your power!" Sophia's voice was cool and even.

The first step was the easiest one for the young witch, being a Gryffindor, she pictured her power as a burning flame, a symbol of her passion and courage. She danced around the flame, not daring to touch it yet, just scrutinizing it., taking in the beauty of her inner flame.

"Very well, now touch it."

Breathing deeply, Hermione reached out to her flame with both hands. She almost didn't recognize this feeling, the one of power. Her hands started caressing it, feeling a warm feeling taking over her, making her sighed with ease. As the feeling spread through her hands, a white light appeared on them.

"Perfect! Now, let it grow."

Nodding scarcely, Hermione took it to the next level, something she failed to do until now. Palms under the flame, she used the small amount of energy lent by the flame to make it grow. The warmth started to spread through her whole body, so did the white light.

Opening her eyes, Sophia watched her student radiating with power. She smiled to herself and took back her hands, judging that the young witch didn't need her guidance.

When Sophia's connection with her disappeared, Hermione felt suddenly isolated. Her pulse started to accelerate, she felt alone and abandoned, the same way she felt when Remus broke her wand.

NO! Her inner voice screamed. No matter what it takes, she vowed to never feel so helpless again.

She was so scared of losing the only thing she had left, she took her power and merged with it, gasping at its contact. It felt utterly different than before, darker but mightier, scary but intoxicating. She tried to fight it at first, but the more she tried, the more the pictures of Remus and the Weasley's betrayal came to her mind, reminding her how vulnerable they made her feel.

As her anger intensified, the white light faded, absorbed by a dark red aura. Through greeted teeth, she let her power emerged, making the walls shake and the windows cracking.

"Hermione!" Sophia yelled, putting back her palms against her. "Hermione, come back!"

The young with opened her eyes, fire sizzling inside her orbs.

"Out!" She yelled back, sending a shock wave making Sophia fly across the room.

Alerted by the noises, Ioan and Viktor came rushing into the basement and found Hermione in that state. They tried to take a step forward but behind Hermione exploded.

"Mina!" Viktor yelled through the rooms.

That voice! Hermione could have sworn she knew it.

For a brief moment, her tantrum weakened, Viktor felt it. He used this opportunity to ran to her side. Putting his hands on her cheeks, the tried to get her to focus on him.

"Mina! I know you can hear, please come back!"

She was looking at him yet she seemed to not see him.

"Viktor?"

"Yes! It's me, please stop!"

He was right! A part of her knew he was. Concentrating hard enough, she tried to regain control over her emotions. Yelling hard under the effort, a white light emerged through her and exploded, sending them both on the floor. The earthquake immediately stopped after that.

Sophia rushed to Hermione's side while Ioan checked on his son.

"Come on buddy! Up!" He said helping Viktor standing up. "How is she?"

"Unconscious, she fell from exhaustion. Viktor, put on her the sofa in the living room, would you?"

Nodding, her son took the unconscious girl in his arms and took her out of the room.

"What happened here, Sophia?!" Ioan asked through greeted teeth.

"I was helping Hermione reconnecting with her magic. Everything was fine until I stopped guiding her. Shen then lost control over her emotions. Ioan, she has way more power than we thought."

Her husband looked her in the eyes.

"There's something you're not telling me."

Sophia opened her mouth but the front door burst open and her two sons rushed into the house, so they rushed to the living room, their face was contorted by fear.

"They're coming!" They said in unison.

Viktor and his parents went white, they didn't know to hear exactly who was coming, they already knew.

"We saw them in the park, asking where we live. It's only a matter of minutes now!" Nikolaï confirmed.

"Such bad timing!" Ioan muttered to himself. "Alright! Viktor, take Hermione to the chalet and stay there."

"Nissy!" Viktor called out.

"Yes, master!" The small elf replied after appearing by his side.

"Go pack some clothes for Hermione and me, we're leaving."

"Will do!" She quickly disappeared while he went for his broom.

"Forget it, Vik!" Andreï said. "They have Aurors in the air watching the town."

"Damn it!"

"Take the floo network, they won't see you leave."

"Clothes for my master!" Nissy said while giving Viktor a backpack, which Viktor put on.

He took Hermione in his arms and fled by the floo network.

A few minutes after their departure, the Aurors came into the house, surrounding the little family. Remus entered last, followed by Harry and Ron.

"Well, well, well! The Krum family gathered to greet us, minus two important members of the family."

"You're wasting your time Lupin! She's not here anymore." Sophia growled.

"I knew she wouldn't be here, she became so good at running away."

Nikolaï wanted to launch himself at the disrespectful man but his brother caught him by the arm.

"Why are you here if you knew Hermione wouldn't be? To strut?"

*It would be childish of me. No, we just wanted you to give her that." He punctuated his sentence with a flick of his fingers.

Harry took a paper out of his robe and handed it to Sophia. The matriarch read it and went white, her family joined her and the colours dropped from their face too.

"Is it a joke?"

"No joke Mrs. Krum," Harry answered almost politely. "Our government wants that wedding more than anything. Whether she wants it or not, she's gonna come with us."

Sophia and Ioan shared a look.

"What do you mean?"

Harry was about to answer when Remus stopped him.

"It means Hermione has responsibilities she needs to face and assume. Now, we all know our government gave us carte blanche to get her back to England. Give her the paper and try to convince her that the best way to solve this problem is to come with us on her own."

Judging by the look of sheer disgust on their face, Remus decided he wasn't going to push his luck.

"Let's go, everyone!"

Moving prudently, the Aurors kept a close eye on the family, especially on the two sons who looked about to explode from anger. When their enemies left, Andreï used his powers to slam all the doors close.

"Fucking British!"

"How long do you think they'll wait before coming back?" Nicolaï asked his parents.

"I don't know, but Hermione and Viktor are safe in the chalet." His mother replied.

"Meaning we are the one to decide when they'll come back," Ioan added.

"Can't we hide her forever?"

Both parents looked at each other, the same idea had crossed their mind momentarily, but...

"As hard as it is to admit it, they are well-trained wizards, they will find them whether we like it or not."

"I thought you trained Hermione to reconnect with her magic mom, can't we fight them?" Andreï asked.

"That is a talk for later." Ioan interfered. "First, we need to warn Hermione about this..." He stopped himself, pointing at the disgusting piece of paper in his wife's hands.

"That will only scare her dear!"

"Good! She needs some motivation to come up with a plan to stop them, otherwise, we might trigger a political war between England and Bulgaria."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sitting in front of the fireplace hands joined together, Viktor stared at the flames, faithful reflection of his anger. The night was dark outside and the wind was blowing hard, a snowstorm will soon be on them providing the best protection against enemies. The soft crackling of the wood was the only sound in the chalet, Hermione didn't wake since they arrived several hours ago. The young man was still trying to figure out what happened in the basement, but stopped quickly, after all that wasn't the most important event of the day.

Damn Aurors, making them ran away like cowards!

Viktor's fist clenched so hard his phalanxes whitened. He was a warrior, a fighter yet he had to flee, but knowing it was to protect Hermione eased his tension. He never forgot her and the time they spent together at Hogwarts. He remembered the long nights in the library talking about house-elves freedom and Quidditch, their favourite topics. Strangely, their late-night talks made him a better wizard and a better man, Hermione telling how you could teach important values to young men through sports, values they could adapt in their everyday life to make them not only better player, but better persons. For her young age, she was way more mature than any girls Viktor ever met, that's when he started falling for her.

If she hadn't helped him during the Triwizard Tournament, he would never have made it through the last war, her advice sticking to his mind like glue.

If you want to win, she said, you have to choose: brutality or deception?

That is thanks to her sage words he was sitting still in his chalet instead of flying out, tracking those who dared hurt her, because he made his choice that night.

Stirring in her sleep, Hermione moved on her side facing Viktor. Glancing towards her, Viktor looked at her peaceful face, he stood up and made his way over the bed, pulling the covers up before caressing delicately her hair. How he wished she was his, part of a family and a community that would love, accept and protect her. A sad smile stretched his lips, he thought about that the day she stormed back into his life, but Hermione was no woman to accept such a solution. She was not overly proud nor did she was naive to the point of thinking she could marry out of love, but she didn't want someone she cared for ruining his life with a forced marriage.

A soft knock on the window took him out of his reverie. An owl was outside the window, begging him to let it in, Viktor recognized his mom's owl Boris and let it in. Boris flew over the table and dropped the paper it was grasping before resting on the nearest chair, nodding his head from side to side. Viktor closed the window before taking the paper and unfolding it, a small letter, apparently hidden inside, fell to the ground. Viktor bent over to take it, the name Ginny could be read. A small voice inside Viktor begged him to burn the offending letter but it was for Hermione and only she should decide what to do with it. Putting the envelope on the wooden table, he finally reported his attention to the papers in his hands, his eyes widened when reading the title on the front page.

"Why do you only bring me bad news Boris?" Viktor asked slightly amused.

The owl hooting in return.

Outside the chalet, perched on the branch of an old tree, an owl was watching the fugitives.

"I found them!" Harry exclaimed seeing through his owl's eyes.

"Good job Harry! This new spell you created is very useful in the end." Remus smiled.

"Let's get her now!" Ron added impatiently.

"Patience Weasley! Not only a snowstorm is approaching but this is not the right time."

The two boys looked skeptically at their former teacher.

"So why bother to give them the Daily Prophet if not to discover their secret location?" Harry asked almost angrily, feeling like his well-thought plan was useless.

"We call that a smokescreen dear Harry and the point was for Hermione to read it."

Harry's confusion was growing bigger now.

"You know Moony! She smarter than any of us, if you let her she could come up with a fantastic plan."

Seeing the doubts on Harry's face, Remus continued.

"The Daily Prophet was a smokescreen to discover their location, yes. But the main purpose of it is to scare Hermione."

"Isn't she already?" Ron asked.

"Not yet, but thanks to it, she will feel overwhelmed and as soon as it will happen, we'll win."

"How?"

"Fear is the worst weapon you can use against an enemy, it makes them taking bad decisions."

"So now what?" Harry asked.

"Now we wait." Remus simply stated.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Waking up to the sound of the wind blowing hard, Hermione started wondering where she was. Opening her eyes, she didn't recognize the place but one thing was for sure, it wasn't the Krum's mansion anymore. She would've panicked if not for the presence of Viktor, sitting on an old wooden chair near a fireplace. His head hanging on the side, he was clearly dozing off. Pulling the covers off her body she made her way towards him and put her hand on his shoulder, he jerked awake looking everywhere around him until he saw her. He let his head falls back, eyes closed.

"You're awake." He didn't know why but he had to make that statement.

Her hand moved from his shoulder to his cheek, caressing it with her thumb, the young man melting under her touch.

"Go get some rest." She whispered against his ear.

Just like a mermaid's chant, her voice compelled him to obey. He nodded feebly, not moving yet. Bending over, she dropped a small kiss on his forehead forcing him to open his eyes and meet her chocolate brown eyes. They didn't share a word, they never needed them. This private moment, Viktor wished he could make it last forever, but he couldn't. He glanced to the side and Hermione followed his gaze to find the Daily Prophet and the letter on the table.

Dropping her hand from his face, she sighed and went to pick the letter while Viktor stood up and went to lay on the bed.

Unfolding the envelope, Hermione went to seat on the edge of the window.

My Dearest Hermione,

I hope this letter will find you well.

I don't know how to tell you how deeply sorry I am for what happened at my wedding. I never wanted to betray you, you are my best friend, I just believed what Harry told me, that this wedding would be the best thing to happen to you. I guess I didn't want to face the truth and its implications. Please, believe me when I say I am sorry.

But this is not a please-forgive-me letter, it is a let-me-help-you letter. I know this may be hard to believe but after everything that happened, I finally realized this wedding will only destroy you and I don't want to lose you. If you let me, I can help you run away, all you have to do is to meet me at our favourite place tomorrow at noon.

Let me be the friend you needed me to be weeks ago.

Ginny ~ Your friend.

Confused, questions started to pop in Hermione's mind. Why did Ginny want to help her suddenly? Why tomorrow? Hermione didn't have all the information, but then she realized she hadn't read the Daily Prophet resting on the table. She made her way over the table and carefully unfolded the papers, spreading out the front page. To say the title surprised her would be exaggerated, but she must admit that she didn't expect them to use that kind of psychologic trick. Frowning, she went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and came back. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she was a Gryffindor and she intended to win this war.

Lifting her right hand she knocked the knife down on the table.

"Game on!" She murmured, knowing exactly what she had to do.

She went to lay next to a sleeping Viktor, leaving the knife stuck on the table, piercing through the picture of a smiling wizard on the first page of the Daily Prophet, just under the headline:

GRANGER & JACK: Wedding of the year!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment, it always helps me to know what you liked or disliked.
> 
> Don't hesitate to tell me if there are things you'd like to see ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I wanted to thank you all for your reviews, without them I wouldn't be motivated to continue.
> 
> Now, let's take a look at what Hermione has planned against Remus :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Sitting on the windowsill, wrapped up in a blanket, Hermione looked absentmindedly outside. The snowstorm was weakening and she felt it, it now a matter of hours before the Aurors plunge on them. On the other side of the room, Viktor was sleeping soundlessly on the couch, a thin burgundy plaid covering his naked torso. After all those years, Hermione was still amazed by how warm her friend was, so warm it was like he was never cold. She admired him a few minutes before tearing a gaze away. They were coming, she could feel it. Part of her wanted to leave stealthily, ashamed by our she was putting Viktor's family in danger but another part of her forced her to stay, arguing that she needed them if she wanted her plan to work out. She wasn't proud of what she came up with, but she knew they'd understand, they had to!

Standing up, she put the blanket she was wrapped up in on the couch and went to sit on the edge of the bed. Viktor's breath was even, he didn't look peaceful though, he was almost serious. Hermione extended her hand towards his cheek but Viktor caught her wrist before, not opening his eyes.

"You couldn't sleep either."

It was not a question, it was a statement and he knew it. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked straight at her, eyes cold as ice, jaw clenched, body tensed.

"Get ready, the snowstorm is weakening."

The way she said that made Viktor cringed. He knew his attitude wasn't engaging, but since she read that letter from Ginny and read the newspaper, it was like she knew right away what to do, and when he tried to reach out to her, she turned in on herself but tried to hide it by sharing her big plan with him. But Viktor wasn't one to be fooled around, he knew her way too well to be deceived. He was certain she kept things from him, but now the only thing he saw was a terrified young woman, maybe he was blinded by his own fears.

Getting up from the bed he grabbed his shirt, pulled it over his head and hugged her from behind, trying to lend her some strength.

"It's going to be ok, I promise." He whispered.

Body stilled like a marble statue, she replied blankly.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

That's exactly what she said to him the day of his departures from Hogwarts. He promised to come to see her as often as he could but never did.

"Today is different, I'm here and I won't leave you anymore."

Looking intently in front of her, she waited before answering, as if she was choosing her words carefully.

"You will have to."

She freed herself from him to take a small bag resting on the table and handing it to him.

"Go now."

Viktor stilled when she handed him the bag, he was starting to doubt himself, but something in the young woman's eyes compelled him to push away his hesitance. Taking the bag, he moved back and disappeared in the floo network.

Viktor arrived at his home and rushed to the living room where everyone awaited his arrival.

"We don't have much time!" He said before handing them the potions inside the bag. "Drink this and listen closely!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Safely hidden inside an old church, Remus smiled while looking at the sky. It was a matter of seconds before the snowstorm ends. Even if a part of him was sorry for having to use force to bring Hermione back, he was excited to see what the young witch has come up with to face a whole team of Aurors. Will she be smarter than them all?

Turning towards his squad, he asked for their attention. Suddenly, all faces turned towards him.

"The moment has come, my friends! Today, we are gonna bring Hermione back home, where she belongs. I know some of you don't like this and trust me when I say I'm one of them. But it is a mission given by our government, our country and it is our duty as Aurors to execute the orders. No matter what happens today, don't let your feelings get involved."

Remus paused for a moment.

"You all know what to do, now go!"

Every nodded before rushing outside.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The first group arrived at the chalet where they hoped Hermione still was. They circled the old wooden habitation, taking careful steps towards it as they remembered how their last encounter with the young fugitive went.

There was no light and no sound inside, just the crackling of the old wood under their feet. It was so dark inside they couldn't see a few feet away from them so they all lit their wand in unison, only to discover Hermione standing in the center of the room, her hands hidden behind her back. All wands were pointed at her and the men holding them yelled at her to raise her hands slowly.

"Hello, gentlemen!" She said before doing as she was told while looking at every Aurors circling her. "Right where I want you to be."

"What's in your hands?" The tallest Auror asked.

"Drop them!" Another yelled.

She smiled at them. "If you insist!"

She lit the two lighters in her hands and dropped them. When they hit the oil covering the wooden floor, the flames started licking their way towards the Aurors. Taken aback, they were not realizing what happened until the fire hit a small bundle that exploded at its contact, making the Aurors fly across the room. But the potion not being so strong, the Aurors got back on their feet quickly only to find out Hermione disappeared. Wands in hand they looked everywhere which was strange since the chalet wasn't that big.

One of the Aurors's wand started to tremble in his hand, he heard legends about his target and although he has been trained for that, he still was scared of her. His train of thoughts was interrupted by a hand on his mouth, followed by a kick at the back of his knee and an arm snaking around his neck. A few seconds later, he fell unconscious. Alerted by the slight noise, every Aurors turned around to see their target and pointed their wands at her but she dodged and hid in a dark corner. They were about to come to her when a loud pop was heard at the entrance.

There she was, standing in front of them and ready to escape.

"You missed Missy!"

Without waiting any longer she ran out of the house, followed by her enemies.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Perched on a house, Remus and Harry looked at the Krum's Mansion while a group of wizards led by Tonks walked towards it. They were gonna achieve their mission and bring Hermione back where she belongs. They knew that was not what she wanted but sometimes what you want is not necessarily what you need. Both men will never forget how hard she fought by their sides against Voldemort. She has had her fair share of suffering and losses but she wasn't the only one. Ronald lost his brother during the final fight, Harry lost his parents, Cedric and Sirius. They sacrificed everything and never complained since it led them to Voldemort's death, so watching Hermione making such a fuss around this new law angered them.

Using her powers, Tonks opened the doors of the mansion, she was about to ask everyone to start searching when she spotted Hermione and the patriarch of the Krum family standing in the middle of the living room.

"This will be easier than I thought!" She exclaimed, stepping inside.

"You think?" Hermione asked with a smile on her face.

Tonks narrowed her eyes at the young witch. Why did she look so smug? There was a trick she just knew it.

"Be very careful, I'm sure it's just a trap."

"We call that a smokescreen my dear." She replied casually.

"Look! Above us!" An Auror replied, pointing out two hooded forms on a broom.

Looking between Hermione and the fugitives, she decided to stay here and rushed towards her targets who pulled out their wands, ready to fight.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Outside the mansion, Remus saw tho persons on a broom trying to escape.

"Harry! These ones are yours!"

Nodding firmly, Harry cast the Accio spell to summon his broom and hunt them.

"Go and help him!" Remus said, "we're never too careful."

"Yes, sir!"

The other Aurors took out their brooms and joined Harry in his chase.

Remus stayed passive for a few minutes, hearing the explosion caused by different offensive spells and the grunts of his Aurors. Looking up, he saw the hooded forms dodging the spells and the attackers with extreme dexterity. Five minutes later, it was over, the hooded figure fell off their broom and landed on a rooftop while Tonks was bringing back Hermione and the Ioan Krum.

The other group of Aurors were bringing Hermione back on their broom too and this was when Remus understood that something had gone wrong. Three Hermione! Something in his mind screamed it was just a smokescreen, but where was the original one?

Turning around, he looked at the bunch of people gathered to witness this, while they were all glued together, a dark figure was walking at a fast pace towards the Ministry. Pulling out his wand, Remus cast a powerful spell that made the wind blow, making her hood fly into the air, revealing Hermione just as he thought.

"Get her!" He simply yelled.

Not wasting any more time, she started running towards the Ministry while Remus screamed at the top of his lungs to catch her before she reached the Ministry.

"Remus! What's wrong?" Tonks asked.

"She fooled us! These," he pointed out to Hermione's clones "were just a smokescreen so we don't see her running towards the Ministry. If we don't catch her before she reaches it, she will seek asylum."

"I thought she couldn't."

"She couldn't until we arrived and started attacking her. Under suspicion of mortal danger, she can seek asylum!"

They turned to look at Harry leading other Aurors on their brooms casting offensive spells, but Hermione dodged them all, never Remus would have thought she was that athletic. He frowned, did she trained during her time here? Even if she did so, could she be able to dodge them so easily? Something was wrong.

"Damn you Granger and your mind tricks!"

Hermione was now just a few meters away from the Ministry, Harry sent the Bombarda spell. The force of the explosion threw her against the wooden doors. Extending her hand, she tried to reach for her freedom, but a luminous rope caught her wrist and pulled her towards Harry who trussed her tightly.

"I'm sorry 'Mione." He mumbled under his breath.

Remus and the other Hermiones as well as Ioan and Andreï, gathering them together.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, now tell me, who is the real Hermione Granger?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long
> 
> This chapter was more difficult than I imagined, I came up with lots of different ideas but couldn't write anything. I'm still a bit disappointed by this chapter (which is shorter than the others). If you have any suggestions on how to make it better I'm all ears.
> 
> Also, I want to apologize, I love cliffhangers and it was too tempting to finish this chapter like this.
> 
> But don't worry I'm already working on the next part ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you soooo much for your patience.
> 
> Here I am with my sixth chapter, hope you'll love it.

      Tied up and huddled together, the prisoners looked defiantly at the British Aurors who just captured them. Proud of themselves, the half dozens of men and women laughed at their sullen expression. Remus stood over them and looked down at the four doppelgangers of Hermione, even though he was disappointed by the woman's resistance, he was also impressed by what she put up against his whole team. The wisest witch of her age almost got him, she could be proud of herself, but now the game was over.

"You fought well my friends, now tell me who is the real Hermione!"

     Teeth clenched, the little group refused to obey.

"We're not your friends Lupin!" Muttered Ioan. "So don't expect us to help you."

"You're very brave Mr. Krum, but resistance is futile. Now, let's try again, who is the real Hermione?"

     A small smile spread Ioan's lips. "What makes you think she's here?"

"Simple mathematics Sir. You and your wife have three sons and if we count Hermione since you took her under your wing, you are a family of six and I have six prisoners here. Look, if you want to do it the hard way..."

"Who do you think we are exactly?" Andreï asked. "We're not British Aurors! We are the Krums! We wan resist your magic all day long."

     Remus looked at the eldest of the brothers with an eyebrow raised.

"If you are implying torture young man you are far from the truth. No, I was thinking about a great spell Harry here stole from Hermione. It's really useful, it allows us to extract the potion you took out of your system."

     Remus stopped talking and got closer to him.

"In case you don't understand, as soon as the polynectar will be out of their system, they will take back their original appearance. It's over, Mr. Krum."

     Ioan scoffed, not impressed by Remus' assurance. Irritated by the Bulgarian family, Remus yelled at his Aurors to take out their wands and start taking the potion out of their system. Obeying, they used Hermione's spell and soon, a strange liquid started coming out of every Hermiones' mouth, except for one.

"What's wrong Ronald?" Remus asked.

"I don't know, the spell isn’t working."

     Snickering at the young Auror's attempt, Ioan tried really hard to scream with laughter. "I see you're still as pathetic as you were at Hogwarts, no wonder why Hermione chose my son over you."

     Tightening his grip on his wand, teeth clenched, Ron tried to resist the urge to punch the Bulgarian. What he was referring to was that night at Hogwarts, during the Triwizard Tournament. Dumbledore announced the incoming Yule Ball and Ron took his time gathering the courage to ask Hermione to accompany him, but Viktor asked her first and she accepted.

     Turning his head, Ron glared at him. "What do you know about her Krum? You never met her!!!"

     Ioan looked back at him, a sly smile on his face. "I know her more than you can imagine. During all those years, my son and she never stopped messaging. I know how bad you made her feel for having chosen Viktor for the Yule Ball. I know what kind of 'friend' you and Potter were. I know that when she needed help, she turned to us and didn't turn to you or Potter, why? Because she knows she cannot trust you! Face it, Mr. Weasley, Hermione needs a man, not a boy."

     As Ron and Ioan kept glaring at each other, the Hermiones were starting to change and ultimately, took back their original appearance, revealing Sophia, Nikolaï and Viktor. 

"Finally!" Remus laughed, applauding. "You put up quite a fight Hermione, but it's over."

"Damn, you're right!" Answered Sophia.

     Surprise by the excess of confidence, Remus looked at the matriarch's eyes, but she wasn't looking at him. Turning around, he was wizards and witches rushing towards them. Suddenly, apparating among them, the Bulgarian Ministry yelled at them to put their wands down.

     "What does that mean? We are sent by our Ministry to capture Hermione Granger! Why are arrested?"

     A man, who seemed to be the leader of the group walked towards Remus. "Mrs. Granger is your target, correct! So maybe you can explain to me why is there an innocent Bulgarian family, on the ground, tied up like prisoners?"

"Our Ministry allowed casualties as long as we capture her!" Remus answer proudly.

     Scoffing, the Minister was expecting this answer. "That would've been true if you had captured her."

     Frowning, Remus pointed at Hermione behind her. "What do you mean? Look at her, she's here!"

"For an Auror, Lupin, you really are naïve." The Minister answered, shaking his head before looking at her. "Show them."

     Hermione cringed under the watchful eyes of the whole crowd. She expected it to happen, after all, it was the plan, but she didn't like it. Behind her, someone freed her hands and the woman snapped her fingers. Balls of light started turning around her, blinding everyone. The lights died down, revealing...

"Nissy?" The whole Krum family stated, shock clear in their voice.

     The house-elf bend her hand down, not ready to break the bad news.

"What's the meaning of this? Nissy, where is Mina?" Viktor asked.

"Sorry Master, Missy begged Nissy to help."

"Where is she?" He asked again, more firmly this time.

"She knows it's a trap, but Missy said it was the only way to freedom for her. Nissy knows why freedom is important. Nissy just wanted to help."

     Closing his eyes, Viktor cursed Hermione for the first time. "Ginny Weasley sent Hermione a letter. It was a trap."

     Viktor's family looked at him incredulously while Remus and Ron started laughing. Turning their face towards them, everyone glared at the pair.

"I can't believe Ginny's plan worked!" Ron snickered. "I told her she was too smart to fall for it. Good job, little sister!"

"How dare you..."

"Don't!" Sophia interrupted her husband, looking deep in thoughts.

"What?" Ioan looked at his wife, stunned by her lack of reaction. "What's wrong?"

     Looking around, she met dumbfounded expression. She sighed before looking at her husband. "Can't you see what she did?"

     She was hoping Ioan had understood but he was as lost as anyone here. Turning her head, she looked straight at the Aurors who had stopped laughing. "She used us." She stopped and looked at her family. "All of us."

“You’re lying,” Remus muttered, afraid that if he didn’t deny it, it might be true.

     Shaking her head, Sophia laughed at him. “Wisest witch of her age. I know now why you call her that. She fooled two governments, our family and the whole unit of Aurors.”

     Wounded in his pride, Remus couldn’t help but ask how did Hermione defeat him and his unit?

“Pretty simple. She spent days looking through local and international laws and didn’t find a single law that could help her. It was at that moment she knew she couldn’t win legally and Ginny’s letter came at the right time.”

“How come Ginny Weasley’s trap arrived at the right time?” Nikolaï asked.

“Ginny offered her the opportunity to come closer to her real enemies. Her future husband and the Ministry who doomed her to be a housewife.”

“But why would Hermione want to get closer to them?” Iona wondered.

     Remus, who was now as pale as a ghost, answered. “She wants to destroy them.” 

“But the Aurors were on her way and she needed to get rid of them so they wouldn’t interfere. But she couldn’t do it alone, so she used us. She came up with a big plan, pretending it was her only way out. And it worked, thanks to us, you’re out of her way now.”

     Looking at her with a mix of fear and disbelief in his eyes, Remus started laughing nervously.  “No! It’s insane! She hasn’t enough power.”

     He wanted Sophia to consider the question and to agree with him, but judging by the serious look on her face, she won’t agree. “You’re not that naïve, Remus. You saw what she did at the wedding! She almost did it again not too long ago.”

“That girl is dangerous! Let us go, we need to warn our government.” 

“I’m afraid you’re not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Are you seriously doing this? This girl is dangerous!”

     Ioan took a step forward, ready to strangle him, but his wife calmly stopped him. “Hermione is like a lioness. And your government is about to see what happens when you try to put a lioness in a cage.”

“Mom, I hate that idea but maybe he’s right.” Viktor objected. “We all saw what happened in the basement, she lost control.”

     Putting a hand on his cheek, Sophia smiled at her son. “I know you’re worried about her, so am I. But this is Hermione’s battle. There’s no turning back now.”

     And Viktor knew that too well.

     Exchanging a knowing look with his father, they silently nodded. At that moment, Viktor and his father hoped and prayed for the young witch to win this war, because their ultimate alternative was something both men were not ready for.

 

**_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_ **

 

     Keeping her head up as she walked with Ginny through the forbidden forest. She tried her best not to glance sideways as she felt people following them. Tightening the side of her coat around her, she tried to hide her shaking hands, her enemies must not see her tremble.

“You did the right choice, Hermione!” Ginny reassured her.

     Hermione nodded briefly, making her believe she swallowed anything. Or maybe Ginny knew Hermione wasn’t buying anything and kept pretending anyway.

     The forbidden forest remained the same, dark, cold and yet familiar to the young witch. She spent some time here, creating spells and training to be better than Harry, Ron and basically anyone in Hogwarts. During all her years at this school, people always underestimated her because of her blood status. But today, she was gonna change that.

     After a good hour of walking through the forest, the got out the emerald land.

“Here we are!” Ginny said before turning around, jumping in surprise when Hermione extended her hands at her, silently asking her to do what she was asked. “‘Mione?”

“I’m not a fool Ginny. I know why we’re here. So do it!”

     She barely had time to react that solid ropes wrapped themselves around her wrist.

“You did take your time, Mrs. Weasley.” Minerva McGonagall said, walking slowly towards them.

     Closing her eyes, a small smile appeared on Hermione’s lips. “So it was you I sensed back in the forest. Should’ve known it was you.”

“I’m not doing this on my own free will.” She defended herself.

     Opening her eyes, she glared at her former teacher. “That’s what every coward says.”

“Hermione Granger!” A man’s voice came from behind her. “I’m so glad we finally meet!”

     Not knowing who that was, she decided not to turn back and kept her head high. “So you’re the owner of that fetid odour back there.”

     Taking more steps forward, he placed himself in front of her. The man was as tall as Viktor, brown hair, blue eyes, a square jaw and a cocky expression plastered on his face. “I heard you had a bad temper, I’m gonna have fun taming the beast in you.”

“And who do you think you are? A tamer? I faced real creatures who would make you wet your pants.” She ended her sentence with a snicker before looking up and down.

“My name’s Andrew Jack and soon you’ll be known as Mrs. Hermione Jack.”

“Not if I kill you first.”

“I’m afraid the Aurors who captured you won’t let that happen.”

     She raised an eyebrow. “That’s why I took care of them before coming. If they’re not dead by now, they’re probably rotting in a cell.”

     Andrew’s smile faded. Extending his right arm to the side, two men apparated. “Well then, these gentlemen will escort you to the dungeon where you will wait for the wedding. And here I was thinking about allowing you to sleep in my room.”

“Such a tragedy.” She said pretending to be hurt by the punishment.

“Take her out of my sight!”

“Gladly!” She answered before the men.

 

**_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_ **

 

     Sitting on a bench in her cell crossed legs, Hermione waited patiently for the night to fall. Her plan was working perfectly. This idiot locked her in the dungeon thinking he was safe now, but no one could save him. 

     Inspiring deeply, she tried to touch her power again, just like Sophia taught her… before she lost control and almost destroyed her house. Thinking back about the accident, she realized that fear was the spark that exacerbated her powers. Fear and anger. They were powerful triggers and she was tempted to use them again. But the rational part of her brain was trying to identify the other side of the coin, the other trigger who allowed her to touch her power without losing control. She was wise, she could discover this secret, if only she had more time.

“Here I am!” Yelled Enny who apparated in her cell.

     Reacting quickly, the young woman covered his mouth with her hand and looked at the dungeon’s entrance. No one seemed to have heard him. Sighing out of relief, she released her hold on him.

“Enny! I’m so glad you heard me.” She exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

“Miss Granger is still a good telepath.”

     She huffed. “I was scared not to succeed. Now, destroy the chains I need to get out.”

     Snapping his fingers, Enny freed Hermione from her chains and then opened the door of her cell.

“Where are you going?” Enny asked.

“I need to get more power, so I’m gonna head to the library, I can steal some power from the dark arts books.”

“Very interesting!” A deep voice came from the entrance.

     Turning around quickly, Hermione clenched her fists at the sight of Andrew Jack.

“Do you think I’m stupid enough to let my guard down with you? I know everything about you and your liking for these creatures. I knew you would have one of them to help you.”

     Too stunned and unprepared, Hermione didn’t dare to move.

“Such a shame! I wanted to keep you and break you but the Ministry insisted they wanted you dead.” 

     Taking a knife out of his coat, he held it by the blade and in one swift movement, threw it towards Hermione who put her hands in front of her and closed her eyes.

     Nothing hit her. She heard something fell loudly on the floor in front of her. Opening her eyes slowly, her heart skipped a beat. Laying on his back, the knife planted in his chest was the small house-elf.

     Dropping to the floor, a hand over her heart, the other on her mouth, she watched life leaving the tiny creature’s body. The knife had pierced his heart. It was too late.

     Eyes closed, teeth clenched, she fought harder than ever not to cry out of anger and pain. Then it happened. Her whole body started to shiver uncontrollably, lightly at first as the power start to bubble inside her. The more her powers grew, the stronger the spasms got as it burned her from inside. Unable to stop the pain, she started screaming in agony, up until she accepted to unleash this new force, breaking its cage.

     The spasms stopped. Opening her eyes, they were entirely coloured dark red. She turned to Andrew a gaze full of hatred and slowly got up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, don't hesitate to tell me what you thought ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading


End file.
